MAN DROWNED IN LAGOON

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28975, 17 August 1959, Page 10

MAN DROWNED IN LAGOON

Another Makes Shore

When a small outboard motorboat carrying two men dressed in heavy clothing and waders capsized in a lagoon at the mouth of the Rangitata river on Saturday night, one of them was drowned. He was:

John Derryck (Tom) Cates, a plumber, aged 45, married, with one child, of 145 Aitken street, Ashburton.

His companion, Kevin James Williams Grice, a linotype operator, married, of 67 Trevors road, Ashburton, struggled ashore. He was treated for shock. It is believed the two men, who were staying at their baches for the week-end, went out between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. to inspect flounder nets. When they were about 50ft from the shore, in one of the deepest parts of the lagoon, the boat capsized. Hampered by thigh-long waders and heavy clothes, the men swam towards the shore, but Mr Cates disappeared. Mr Grice struggled ashore semi-conscious. After falling back into the water, Mr Grice climbed out again and staggered round the end of the lagoon to a bach, where he collapsed. The occupants immediately notified the police. Under the direction of Constable P. B. Maxwell, of Ashburton, searchers dragged the lagoon from 12.50 a.m. to 3 a.m. yesterday without success. The search was resumed at dawn, and the body was found at 9.10 a.m. in about 14ft of water, near where the boat had capsized. Yesterday, Constable Maxwell said that residents of Coldstream had done a great job in assisting him in the search for the body. An inquest for identification will be opened before the Ashburton Coroner (Mr L. A. Charles) this morning.